Happy Christmas

Spent  the day up in Orewa at our beach house on Saturday  and had our  first swim of the season as well as doing some last minute shopping at the Silverdale Market - things like strawberries for our Christmas dessert. The pohutukawas are in full bloom and add to the festive atmosphere.

Christmas Eve was spent at home as usual with the usual roast dinner folllowed by trifle.  Round 9pm we listened to some Christmas music and exchanged presents.

Attended Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral on Christmas morning and enjoyed the singing and organ music as usual.

Pre-Christmas

Went to a Knitterati gathering at a gallery out West this morning. We were to take a self-made ornament which would be part of a group window installation. They were to be white and filmy but I thought I would take along a red one I had made a while ago but it was too much the odd one out so two of us knitted a little white boot each which was included. Mine is the one on the right.

Waiheke weekend

Enjoyed a couple of days of respite over on the island recently and also a day trip to celebrate a longtime friend's retirement from the workaday world. The pohutukawas are in full bloom, heralding Christmas as they do in their scarlet splendour. The agapanthus provide a spectacular contrast, though on the island they are regarded as a weed as they do tend to smother native plants in time.

The delicate pale flower which I believe is a kind of lily, used to be quite prolific on the island and is hardly seen anymore. I was delighted to see this one on our walk in to Oneroa after Mass on Sunday.

The flax is flowering too and is particularly spectacular above Oneroa beach .

Baking

Finished my Christmas baking this afternoon with some Basler Leckerli- thin gingerbread laden with aromatic spices, honey and almonds.

Earlier in the month I made spicy Spekulatius biscuits from my old Dr Oetker recipe book which I have been using for over 40 years now.

Plump Vanilla Kipferl from Edible gifts by Claire Clifton and Martina Nichols complete the trio of biscuits we have been enjoying.